San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1887-12-10


following letter from MIR. Jeremiah
Brown. lately of san Antonio, who is
now In California. He says:
SAN DIEGO, CAL, Dec. 3, 1887.
FRIEND Toni have now been here
two months. a sufficient length of time 10
form n fair idea OF the condition of this
country; so to fulfill my promise, !
write you an account of Chis place. I'M
tainted either with bias or prejudice.
Here | am In California in the midst OF
one of the greatest "bOOms" that any
person has ever Witnessed, or any COun-
try has ever experienced. have learned
from authOritiVe sources that during
the last eleven months no less than "a 900
persons have come TO visit San Diego
and Southern California; many of those
that came here in the early part of the
year with money, have made it pay big,
while those who came without money
had to sit down with their finger in
their mouths and curse the child OF pow
erty. Well, this is as it always has been
and always will be. In all branches OF
trade California has become OverdOne
and IL will not be long before you will
hear music in the air from those that are
left to hold the bag.
Real estate dealers, keepers OF saloons,
hotels and boarding houses and those
that had plenty of rooms to rent, have
made money. Mechanics and la
boring men have been getting
from $3.50 to So per day, Blu the
great rush TO this country has caused
considerable fall in wages, and at pres
ent prices man that can get steady
work In the old Alamo city at 81 % per
day can have as much money and do
Just as well, notwithstanding contrary
reports that you receive from this cOun-
try. And for the soul of me cannot
imagine what the people can see to JUS
tify or maintain such boon" unless ii
Is the wind and gas of over seven hun
dred real estate agents that this place ia
infested with; ii is no use talking, this lie
not farming country; there are a few
valleys here that fruit could be raised
in, but all those that are within five or
six miles of the city are staked out in
town lots. 1t seems that they expect this
"bOom" to last until the entire state
forms one great city, while they live on
harbOrs and climate; there Is not so
much running water within thirty miles
OF this place as passes down the little
San Pedro creek In San Antonio, and
what there Ia, is hardly fit TO drink and
the wells are very poor. They depend
upon catching the winter rains by dam
ming up the creeks to furnish water for
the city and to irrigste thousands of
acres OF land, and If they dig artesian
wells there is no certainty that the
water will be good. This place cannot
near compare with old San Antonio as
health resort; and the experience of a
life time OF travelling from youth to old
age (being now rs years old justifies me
In saying that II the old Alamo city was
supplied with proper system of sew
erage, that she might be kept in a good
sanitary condition, together with her
excellent climate and fine water, the
world cannot produce healthier city.
look upon the Alamo city as the gar
den spot OF the world, and had not her
citizens been so dead to her best inter-
ests, her population would be double
what 1t lie, and she would be sought
after by thousands of health-s kers
and tourists every year. | have not had
good health since | came to California;
the damp, cold nights and the bad water
has been very bad on me. and hundreds
OF others | hear making similar COM
plsints More people suffer from colds
here than any other place | ever visited.
There are few eXuitable, nervous
persons who have drank freely of the
real estate wind and gas, that have
caught the fever and are going about
eulOgiZing California and saying this is
their home; well so mote 1t belts not
my idea OF what land of home should
be, aud when come to take my depart
ure for that sweet unknown (which
mus be ere lOng) l want my soul to
wing it's flight from within the walls of
the old Alamo city.
What is the opinion Of the wise men
OF your city as to its future2 Has her
star Of prosperity yet arisen? Tell me
all the news and give my kindest re-
CARDS to your father. Respectfully
yours, JEREMIAH BROWN.